Price tag printing machine



Feb. 2, 1943. F. KOHNLE PRICE TAG PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec l l, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN'fOR.

' M MM ATTORNEYS Feb; 2,1943.

F. KOHNLE 7 PRICE TAG PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet2 AINVVENTOR. BY xq aMK M Feb. 2, 1943. I KQHNLE I 2,310,179

' I PRICE TAG PRINTING MACHINE Filed-Dec. 11, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Feb. 2, 1943.i K HNLE' 2,310,179

v PRICE TAG PRINTING. MACHINE Filed Dec. 11, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY;

5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F. KOHNLE PRICE TAG PRINTING MACHINE Filed Dec Feb. 2, 1943.

' INVENTOR. I W

i ATTORNEYI' Patented Feb. 2, 1943 UNlTD nanei' OFFICE PRICE TAG PRINTING DEACHINE.

Application December 11, 1939, Serial No. 308,605

4 :Claims.

This invention relates to price marking or printing machines and is particularly directed to improvements in the mechanism for inking the type as well as the control mechanism which starts the cycle of operation of the machine.

In my earlier Patent 2,120,936, issued June 14, 1938, an inking mechanism is disclosed for price marking price tickets which provides an endless inking ribbon, having a portion looped around or engaged about an impression pad. Thus a portion of the upper run of the ribbon is disposed upon the pad. The pad with the ribbon supporting and feeding means is reciprocated for disposing the impression pad beneath the type. The ribbon is intermittently fed so that over a certain number of operations a fresh section of the ribbon is disposed upon the pad.

It has been one of my objects in this invention to provide an arrangement of parts whereby the inking ribbon is looped above the impression pad so that both runs are disposed above the pad and the type is more effectively inked because of engagement with a double thickness of ribbon.

Furthermore, it has been another object to provide a conveniently detachable bracket for holding the ribbon in looped condition over or upon the pad or platen, which bracket includes an extremely eificient attaching means permitting convenient detachment of the bracket for replacing the ribbon. This bracket also provides an effective guiding means for the looped runs of the ribbon disposed over the pad. Further objects have been to provide an effective feeding mechanism actuated upon each inking operation and arranged so as to be easily held out of operative position if desired. The arrangement also provides means for placing tension on the ribbon.

Since the inking mechanism, including the feeding means, represents an assembly involving a number oi parts, the added weight and extension of the unit require increased support so that the movement is stabilized and adequately supported in its sliding movements. Toward this end a double guide is incorporated. The unit slides on a main guide. A second way or saddle is extended from the frame beneath the feeding mechanism of the ribbon and additionally slidabiy supports the unit beneath the laterally extended portion as constituted by the ribbon advancing means.

The control means for this machine is disclosed and claimed in the copending application of rederick Kohnle, Serial No. 355,834, filed September '7, 1940.

Other objects and certain advantages will be more fully apparent from a description of the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tag marking and applying mechanism incorporating the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3. Figure 2 showing the printing head and the inking mechanism relative thereto with the printing head in the operation of printing.

Figure 4 is a view showing the printing head in position in dot and dash lines for advancing the ribbon.

Figure 5 is a side View of the inking unit further illustrating the ribbon advancing action.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine showing the inking unit in detail and in position for the inking operation, the printing head being removed for illustrative purposes.

Figure '7 is a perspective View of the inking unit showing the attaching bracket loosened in the operation of removing the ribbon.

Figure 8 is a sectional View taken on line 88 showing the details of the attachment means for the ribbon guiding and holding bracket.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 7 Figure 2 showing the main drive shaft which drives the cams for actuating the inking unit and printing head and also the control means.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line ltit Figure 5 illustrating the additional guide and support means for the inking unit.

The improvements herein shown and described are incorporated in a price tag marking and attaching mechanism. Specifically the machine shown feeds a strip of tickets to the environment of the printing head where the respective tickets are severed. The severed and printed ticket is then delivered at a point of attachment to the merchandise, at which point the mechanism of the machine is efiective for driving a straight pin through the ticket and merchandise, bending and directing the pin so that the point is encased. The machine is power driven. The motor runs constantly while the mechanism is in use. The clutch arrangement is controlled by means of a tripper at the front of the machine which controls the clutch causing a complete cycle of operation sufiicient for attaching a single ticket.

Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the mechanism is mounted on a base I5. An

in the unit l9. From here the drive proceeds, at right angles, to the front of the machine through a shaft 29 having its forward end journalled in a bearing 2| of the frame element 22. A series of cams are fixed on this shaft. Among these cams is one indicated at 23 which is effective for rocking an arm 24 pivoted on the frame 22 on a pin 25.

This arm carries the printing head 26 shown generally in Figures 2 and 3. The slidable inking unit 21 is mounted for sliding movement in the guideway 28 of the frame and carries the impression pad 29. A swinging lever 30 pivoted on the base of the frame is loosely connected to the rear of the inking unit and is actuated by a cam 3| on the shaft 20.

The pin advancing and inserting unit 32 slides laterally across the front of the machine and each time forces a pin from a strip 33 having the pins 34 carried in at spaced intervals.

The guideway 35 for the strip of tickets 36 extends parallel to the power shaft beneath the printing head. The ticket feeding unit 31 feeds the tickets for advancing a ticket beneath the printing head during each cycle of operation of the machine. A knife. 38 severs the advanced ticket. The pins are advanced through a unit 39. It is not believed necessary to describe the further details of the ticket advancing and ticket attaching mechanism since this invention is not concerned with the details of these mechanisms.

The power from the transmission unit to the cam shaft is controlled by means of a depressible tripper element 40 at the front of the machine.

This tripper has a broad operating contact pad 4| disposed just in back of the attaching plunger 42 and has its lever arm portion pivoted on a stud 43 fixed to the frame. The lower end of the lever is connected pivotally to a link 44. The rear end of the link has an upwardly extended arm 45 rigidly attached thereto. The upper end of the arm is forked or bifurcated and straddles a clutch throwout finger 4B. This finger is normally urged against the side of a pawl carrying disc 41 by means of a spring 48 connected between the frame and the link. The upper end of the finger is inclined as at 49 and adapted to be engaged when against the pawl carrying disc, by a pin 50 upon the pawl. The pawl is spring urged into engagement with the clutch teeth 5| on the drive shaft and moves in a slot of the pawl carrying disc for this purpose. Accordingly, when the tripper is released the finger will intercept the pin 59 and hold the pawl out of the clutch teeth 5|. When the tripper is depressed, the finger is moved out of the path of the pin and the pawl carried by the disc drops into the teeth and a full rotation of the cam shaft is initiated. If the tripper'is held down the rotation will continue but when released the finger will stop the cam shaft at the end of a complete rotation.

As stated the printing head lever 24 is pivoted on the pin 25, Figure 3. For purposes of attachment, an arm carries the printing head. The lever, where it extends outwardly over the guide track for the tickets, is of channel form and the arm 55 carrying the type chase 5B is contained within tins channel and is mounted on the pivot pin 25. A clamping bolt 51 passes through the sides of the channel and through a vertical slot 58 in the arm 55. A set screw 59 engages the top of the adjustable arm and is held in position by a lock nut 69. A type ch'ase carrier BI is fixed in the head by means of screws 62 and includes guide slots 63 in the side walls of its chase receiving opening. The type chase which carries the conventional type 64 is slid into the carrier against an abutment against which it is held by a latch 65. When the impression pad is back and as the ticket is brought under the head, the printing is done as shown in Figure 3.

The inking unit, generally speaking, is mounted on a slide 66, slidably mounted in the guideway 28 of the frame. This slide is disposed directly beneath the printing head arm. The support plate 6! for the pad is fixed crosswise upon the end of this slide adjacent the printing head and parallel with the guideway 35 for the tickets. This impression pad base element 6! includes a vertical extension 68 at one end for supporting the reeling or advancing mechanism for the ribbon. To this extension is attached a standard 59 upon which the reel or spool 10 for the ribbon is rotatably mounted on a stud ll fixed to the standard. The back of the spool includes a flange 12. As shown in Figures 6 and 7 one loop of the endless ribbon is looped around this spool. The other loop is engaged around a pin 13 carried by a bracket 14. The bracket, in addition to the pin. carries an arm 15 having its underside slotted to receive the runs of the ribbon. When the bracket is down in position as shown in Figure 6, the arm holds the inking portions of the ribbon horizontally across the impression pad and the runs beyond these portions vertically against the side of the vertical extension 58. The bracket besides its vertical portion includes a horizontal portion '56 adapted to rest upon a supporting ledge 11 fixed to the vertical portion of the base for the impression pad.

The bracket is held upon this ledge or support by means of a screw threaded fastening device 18 screwed upon a stud 19 extended upwardly from a projecting ear 8|] on the ledge. The fastening device 18 incorporates a tubular retainer 8| fixed upon an ear 82 of the bracket adapted to be inserted upon the stud. A locking nut 83 of extended form is disposed in the bore of the tubular retainer and includes a screw threaded bore engageable over the stud. The upper end of the nut is knurled as at 84. A cross pin 85 in the tubular element extends tangentially across the bore of the tubular element within an annular groove 85 in the nut. This arrangement prevents withdrawal of the nut and yet permits rotation and suilicient axial movement for clamping the bracket upon the stud. A clamping washer 81 is provided between the base of the nut and the base of the bore of the tubular retainer.

Thus it will be seen that both runs of the ribbon are disposed and pass over the impression pad. The ribbon is easily replaced by unscrewing the nut 83 and lifting the bracket as shown in Figure '7. In this position, the ribbon may he slipped off the spool and over the headed end of tllge pin 13 as well as out of the slot of the arm The movement of the arm 24 carrying the printing head actuates the reel. In other words. each time the arm lifts from printing a ticket the ribbon is advanced slightly. This is accomplished by means of an abutment plate 88 fixed to the arm and engaging one arm of a swinging pawl-carrying bell crank 89 rotatably mounted upon the stud H which journals the reel. The other arm of the bell crank carries stud 90 disposed parallel to the axis of the reel and over the reel. This pawl is loosely pivotally mounted upon the stud 99 against a spacer sleeve 9|. It is held in position against the sleeve by means of a pin 92 in the stud 90 disposed in a circumferential slot 93 in the hub of the pawl.

The pawl rests upon the ribbon looped around the reel and feeds the ribbon as shown in Figure 5. The reel is provided with minute cross grooves with which the feeding edge 94 of the pawl engages through the ribbon. The pawl is returned after a feeding motion by means of a spring 95 disposed under tension between a pin 90 on the actuating arm of the bell crank and a pin 91 on the standard.

The ribbon is maintained under tension by means of an idler roller 98 engaging the underside of the lower run. The idler roller is mounted on a stud 99 fixed to a bell crank arm I rotatably mounted on the stud II which supports the reel. A spring IOI under tension between a pin I02 on the arm of the bell crank and the pin 91 on the standard normally holds the idler roller against the ribbon. When the operator desires to hold the reeling mechanism out of operation, a pin I03 on the arm of the idler roller bell crank is hooked into a notch I04 on the outer end of the pawl. This pulls both pawl and the idler roller out of operative position as shown in Figure '7.

Thus it will be seen that after a certain number of printing operations, a fresh portion of the lower run of the ribbon is brought up over the impression pad. Thus the ribbon is being continuously changed and both thicknesses are utilized. The slide carrying the inking mechanism is operated in synchronism with the printing head so as to be moved under the type in the inking actuation of the printing head. The printing head, it will be understood, has two swinging movements, one for inking and the other for printing.

In Figures 5 and the additional support for the inking unit is illustrated. A way is afforded by the sloping top of an element I05 fixed on the frame of the machine. A saddle or sliding support element I06 extends from the side of the inking unit and has a slotted underside engaged upon the way. This saddle sustains the extended ribbon feeding mechanism and takes the strain away from the main guide.

The fastening device I8 disclosed herein forms the subject matter of a separate application copending with this application, Serial No. 316,155, filed January 29, 1940.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising a printing head, including type, a support for the article to be printed, a translatable inking unit slidably mounted beneath the head and adapted to be moved beneath the head for inking the type, said inking unit including a main slide, an impression pad directly upon said main slide, an inking ribbon, a support extended laterally from the slide for supporting the inking ribbon, said support carrying a feeding and reeling mechanism for the ribbon, means disposing the ribbon upon the impression pad, and. a second guiding and supporting means disposed beneath the feeding and reeling mechanism in parallelism with the main slide.

2. In a printing mechanism, a support for the article to be printed, a printing head including type, means mounting said printing head for engagement with the article to be printed, an inking slide carrying an impression pad adapted to move the pad into position under said printing head for engagement by the head for inking the type, said slide carrying an inking ribbon mounted and arranged so as to provide a double thickness of inking ribbon upon the surface of the pad, and means carried by the inking slide for feeding said ribbon across the surface of the pad.

3. A printing apparatus, a printing head, including type, a support for the article to be printed, a translatable inking unit slidably mounted beneath the head and adapted to be moved beneath the head for inking the type, said inking unit including an impression pad directly upon its main slide, an inking ribbon, a support carrying a feeding mechanism for the ribbon, means supported on the inking unit and disposing both runs of the ribbon over the impression Pad, said means disposing the ribbon upon the impression pad, and a second guiding and supporting means disposed beneath the feeding and reeling mechanism in parallelism with the main slide.

4. An inking mechanism for a printing head, comprising a slide, an impression pad carried upon said slide, a continuous length of inking ribbon, feeding mechanism carrying said ribbon on said slide and including a reel about which one end of the ribbon is looped, a bracket detachably mounted relative to the slide, said bracket including a guide pin about which the other end of the inking ribbon is engaged, said bracket further carrying an arm engaging the ribbon intermediate its looped ends, said bracket when fixed in position holding the runs of the ribbon, between the arm and the pin, in parallelism and in close proximity to the impression pad.

FREDERICK KOHNLE. 

